tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12983349837397577462024-02-07T00:20:16.046-05:00Up With UgandaSumming up, the reason we go to Uganda is to simply live our Christian faith and bring honor to God by serving the needs of the Ugandan people on a very practical level.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09985664875317005886noreply@blogger.comBlogger62125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1298334983739757746.post-30431613976578639332016-08-27T15:11:00.000-04:002016-08-27T15:11:29.998-04:00Lunch was relaxed and we had a chance to catch up<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So back to the story; once seated on the public bus we
were pushed into our seats like mashed potatoes. Mary’s face was squished up
against the window. I was in the middle seat “smashed” between Mary and the
young mother with her baby and little toddler.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQCkDatdjAzYamzTzLeFR1sNoeMBr3EhFxqIkPVMHCS5CJl1l8TVNr9pJYYXWD4_L9QW0CERISQnPazVfkY1Og5VPG46FXMEHioY3K71x-FsW1d_hIFixuxnzkDhspHr-lM2rPs4HvUFg/s1600/IMG_2457.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQCkDatdjAzYamzTzLeFR1sNoeMBr3EhFxqIkPVMHCS5CJl1l8TVNr9pJYYXWD4_L9QW0CERISQnPazVfkY1Og5VPG46FXMEHioY3K71x-FsW1d_hIFixuxnzkDhspHr-lM2rPs4HvUFg/s200/IMG_2457.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Now I would get a firsthand insight into the frugality
and resourcefulness of this ingenious young mother. After we “set sail” on our
five hour journey west. Her English was quite good so I started to make
conversation. Having a package of peanut M&M‘s I stared to share the candy with
my new travel companions. The candy was a huge hit. The mother would carefully
give her son one M&M and store the rest away for another time. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Back home in Gaithersburg, MD the candy would have
been consumed in four mouths fulls. Lessons learned. Another Paradigm Shift. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Our bus trip was from Kampala to <span style="background: white;">Mbarara. Mbarara is the next big city to the west
before you take a sharp 90 degree turn north into the Imbanda district and then
onward to the village of </span>Kiburara.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzr3YsMJtTDtk4TH8ATiK4hMnvf_dwaZD5AlPAetLZCylPUn92SYw8-YX7LCBTUqktSRMVf_XsoYU81IIzjBrx3Z81QM_QmJxK8J97rtYoVNv40aZc9Cm3s4uBIC1IGAIIDvVInlDxbjg/s1600/IMG_2704.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzr3YsMJtTDtk4TH8ATiK4hMnvf_dwaZD5AlPAetLZCylPUn92SYw8-YX7LCBTUqktSRMVf_XsoYU81IIzjBrx3Z81QM_QmJxK8J97rtYoVNv40aZc9Cm3s4uBIC1IGAIIDvVInlDxbjg/s200/IMG_2704.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Pastor Moses met us at the bus terminal (think of an
open air market, dust everywhere and the intense Equator sun almost blinding
you). It was reassuring to see Moses face. He was all business, loading our
things into the small four door late model Toyota pickup. We were on a schedule
and needed to get some lunch, do a little shopping before our three hour drive
north. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidfIlYu9eIM_HFqNQ6_g7xB62sEW2iR1tWVCdtFlQLnyb4cJYnYnsPHEeeHBrYVoePiGXYuxS9_BEd3z6Rx85BwnKawcNefZCpnM8ib7oF6nyPe8eZebPHCCR2DPYT7sfeAJ2pF4tOy_A/s1600/2014+Uganda+016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidfIlYu9eIM_HFqNQ6_g7xB62sEW2iR1tWVCdtFlQLnyb4cJYnYnsPHEeeHBrYVoePiGXYuxS9_BEd3z6Rx85BwnKawcNefZCpnM8ib7oF6nyPe8eZebPHCCR2DPYT7sfeAJ2pF4tOy_A/s200/2014+Uganda+016.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Lunch was relaxed and we had a chance to catch up.
How were our families? What news was there from the village? Was there any new
information since Mary’s visit 18 months ago? Mary had been in April 2013 with the small SMI
Team, but my last trip was January 2012 (two years). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We each had stories of God’s goodness and
protection, exciting news of newly arrived grandchildren and challenges each
was struggling to overcome. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09985664875317005886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1298334983739757746.post-41871972526819933682014-10-15T21:49:00.000-04:002015-09-25T08:53:52.411-04:00Major Paradigm Shift<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEK5ZAkcZVUXUU7bxSBFtrY3F3igws1kyTJ-rc-4s53id7laEa-m6HaRrGvbN8fJbsmLvrDiTdAakiEBzbKP3xV-tgAP_o1pp93qHMEplFx2y2rtk1tUbhLj-mSyx-XE69JDm83leKeeY/s1600/IMG_0666.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEK5ZAkcZVUXUU7bxSBFtrY3F3igws1kyTJ-rc-4s53id7laEa-m6HaRrGvbN8fJbsmLvrDiTdAakiEBzbKP3xV-tgAP_o1pp93qHMEplFx2y2rtk1tUbhLj-mSyx-XE69JDm83leKeeY/s1600/IMG_0666.JPG" width="150" /></a>So by public bus the journey from Kampala to Mbarara (the next really big town to the west) would be at least four hours. The bus was full, very full. The young mother sitting next to me had one child strapped to her chest and the other on her lap. I was feeling sorry for Mary when I realized how cramped and uncomfortable she must have been. I had a couple of protein bars, a candy bar and two packets of M&M's (with peanuts!). My favorite. As the bus rolled through the crowded street of Kampala I ripped open the M&M's and offered a few to my young traveling companion with the kids. To my surprise she didn't eat them right away but tucked them away for a future snack. The protein bar she ate half and saved half. Another life lesson here of how very different life in Uganda was form that of life back in the states.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJABSWZeRPUQ-b17y8wPGc_njE-aWpyvBT9JyFfF5KJx7FGSp-THyawzWKzWqMEQGuQH5vOAhGYxhyphenhyphencVHgeHu3s2p-NeXkdmQnLlH749ehp0ISVQ9EnFcnyL2iLlBKHzkEwv74qkEquis/s1600/IMG-20140914-WA0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJABSWZeRPUQ-b17y8wPGc_njE-aWpyvBT9JyFfF5KJx7FGSp-THyawzWKzWqMEQGuQH5vOAhGYxhyphenhyphencVHgeHu3s2p-NeXkdmQnLlH749ehp0ISVQ9EnFcnyL2iLlBKHzkEwv74qkEquis/s1600/IMG-20140914-WA0001.jpg" width="143" /></a>I was recently in a lecture where the speaker made the point that Americans have a extreme paternalist view of the world. Because of our ethnocentric view of other cultures everything is viewed from the lens of our cultural experience. This, of course means that we can not see, appreciate, or understand some of the benefits, particularities and values of other societies. If everything is through our rose colored lens everything comes out looking rosy. <br />
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The instructor asked for volunteers to share with the group some odd experiences they had had overseas. Some were hilarious. For example taking the tram in Turkey one person mentioned their relaxed approach natural body aromas. When you lift your arm to hold onto the train handle the air was ripe with underarm odors. This was also my experience on our long bus trip to the west. Another example I had on the bus was the young mother sitting next to me having a perfectly fine conversation when she causally stated beast feeding her little one. No self conscientiousness, just part of the natural cycle of life. Did I mention no lines. We Americans are so conditioned from grade school to form these perfectly straight lines and wait your turn. Not in Africa. Lines are kind of a group suggestion. It's all about relationships. If you see a friend at the front of the line you just walk to the front and start a conversation.<br />
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So much to learn, so much to adjust to. Our view that our "western cultural ways" are superior creates a condescending attitude where we look down on everyone else and cultures we don't understand.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09985664875317005886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1298334983739757746.post-29069064032484814732014-08-28T22:05:00.003-04:002014-08-28T22:24:43.679-04:00Fifteen Thousand People Now Get Clean Water<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUgBk0O9w8QpAQ0UhyphenhyphenFiW3NFlVZz0ZYx5-k4Abqil6nqeefTnb2WmlOK-94w1LMLDq-aotTcXak4qXytf2ULWmrVH1p2yYcfjTAvxzQdDFYX5cobiTnJ8XwdhBXdPZN_M7Wvu_4fSkl_w/s1600/Megan+water1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUgBk0O9w8QpAQ0UhyphenhyphenFiW3NFlVZz0ZYx5-k4Abqil6nqeefTnb2WmlOK-94w1LMLDq-aotTcXak4qXytf2ULWmrVH1p2yYcfjTAvxzQdDFYX5cobiTnJ8XwdhBXdPZN_M7Wvu_4fSkl_w/s1600/Megan+water1.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a>For today's post I just wanted to share this video clip made eight years ago when my daughter Tessa and her husband Jim first went to Uganda. If you look closely you will see them in some of the clips.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVT1o1oXN0Nuufdy4jebjw5ZHMLrSZBLW6KZ9pT9G0Rzf9UfoE4KK1q6u9FnZIfKMH1NG0IZp43jmCEBVRoHTZqVUWRkd1I2Do8iTaRnPFU5ifdVZUGJTXphEQVUs8JO4itukPXcSxnY8/s1600/Widows+Houses+-+Mary11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVT1o1oXN0Nuufdy4jebjw5ZHMLrSZBLW6KZ9pT9G0Rzf9UfoE4KK1q6u9FnZIfKMH1NG0IZp43jmCEBVRoHTZqVUWRkd1I2Do8iTaRnPFU5ifdVZUGJTXphEQVUs8JO4itukPXcSxnY8/s1600/Widows+Houses+-+Mary11.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a>Through their sharing with Mary and I and the stories of other dear friends (thank you Peter and Shiry) we made the decision to go in 2011.<br />
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As Issac Hydoski shares from this 2008 video there has been much progress made these past seven years. There are now 15 wells dug throughout the villages and communities near Kiburara. Each well supplies clean drinking water to a thousand residents. That's an astounding fifteen thousand people now getting clean water who are alive and well because of generous donations.<br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuS4PWHjUC8&feature=share">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuS4PWHjUC8&feature=share</a><br />
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Enjoy this clip<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ioAT46Q1SxGypSbfPvwK0I8XPN9T4LL9_mgzRvlZ0rqzWNJu4tLnONY0SGcmdDDLLLC61zHIMM1Hwbr-83GOqgWygUqtfr3v7k3uw1X38Yd6n8QHqzfispJNzQtkwl5TRLZUSQGVtZI/s1600/Widows+House+Peter0.bmp" height="240" width="320" /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09985664875317005886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1298334983739757746.post-15404525845673789542014-08-27T22:11:00.003-04:002014-08-28T08:57:04.685-04:00Development by Ugandans for Uganda<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxCR9l9vPxOe5gOdifTix0Q5kk5_dqLELRBTuuwx3jW8A6OgJXri_PVY6yMcg_pxC2SdGMlkFT73nh0j7NapIqTSxO_VD6VyLIcn1_Tum375r0EHY-FX4cucK9o-wL4bNEND9f66n__OI/s1600/2014+Uganda+320.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxCR9l9vPxOe5gOdifTix0Q5kk5_dqLELRBTuuwx3jW8A6OgJXri_PVY6yMcg_pxC2SdGMlkFT73nh0j7NapIqTSxO_VD6VyLIcn1_Tum375r0EHY-FX4cucK9o-wL4bNEND9f66n__OI/s1600/2014+Uganda+320.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a>We decided to take public transit west. It would be about a five hour trip and it was the most
affordable. Heck it was good enough for the locals. George and his driver
were a great help again getting us from the orphanage to the Bus Depot in downtown
Kampala. On our way to the terminal John Emilio had to make several stops to
buy bars of soap for a research project.<o:p></o:p></div>
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You see John was doing this research for SMI in the hopes of
developing a soap made in Uganda for Ugandans. It seemed odd that a country with
all these natural resources would import soap. Also some of the research done
here in the USA showed that the process could be fairly simple, economical, create jobs and profit revenue for the local villagers. So SMI was developing this great idea of a
soap factory in Kiburara.<br />
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Once we got within a quarter mile of the bus terminal we had
to pull over because traffic was in gridlock. We stopped in what seemed to be
an ally way and waited for George to fetch some help to carry the bags. Once
help arrived we were on our way for the next leg of our adventure.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmyEPMwOUJ5OCGNFtJKdnAkQStn0EtzcPiq94QF7phvnr6m5O-wppHRQJTBFPAlyzpZWnJTp6X1jIXasrhUKtvRZvgOdQGDL0IKkqS64XAb-uS7yA0MTbsp-sd6TiKuGIkR4Ak1E1vdwE/s1600/_20140821_044914.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmyEPMwOUJ5OCGNFtJKdnAkQStn0EtzcPiq94QF7phvnr6m5O-wppHRQJTBFPAlyzpZWnJTp6X1jIXasrhUKtvRZvgOdQGDL0IKkqS64XAb-uS7yA0MTbsp-sd6TiKuGIkR4Ak1E1vdwE/s1600/_20140821_044914.JPG" height="144" width="200" /></a>The bus trip west was an interesting experience. The bright
orange buses from Globe Coachway were lined up in a semi straight line. The whole
place was busying with the energy of an open air market. People buying and
selling; trying to catch a bus, loading luggage and animals and produce
anywhere they could fit it. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Inside the bus they arranged five seats across, three on the
left and two on the right. John and Kendra got the two on the right Mary and I
went left. The open seat next to me was soon occupied by a young mother with a
young toddler. A tight fit for sure. <o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09985664875317005886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1298334983739757746.post-88553401622666550182014-08-26T23:00:00.000-04:002014-08-27T08:32:58.158-04:00No Small Favor<div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSq-KTZrU5qI7KmqivwwXmcF7TAF3l-asfHIGwVSHMCGsAodeemvxVgc9pgHr6W7eHRq4sm5XdAiteQ27HHNROp3hYVca3YuXJLkXQFH3rQcUW7CNYDUbhd6bTPZXAflTmKVw6c2SEhSM/s1600/2014+Uganda+192.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSq-KTZrU5qI7KmqivwwXmcF7TAF3l-asfHIGwVSHMCGsAodeemvxVgc9pgHr6W7eHRq4sm5XdAiteQ27HHNROp3hYVca3YuXJLkXQFH3rQcUW7CNYDUbhd6bTPZXAflTmKVw6c2SEhSM/s1600/2014+Uganda+192.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a>I had given Pastor George Nsamba from the Wingate Guest House two hundred
dollars (USA) to exchange into Ugandan Shillings for me. That was two days ago,
and I was starting to sweat it, thinking that I might not hook up with George
before our bus trip west the next day, Sunday morning. <o:p></o:p></div>
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What I didn't realize at the time
was that $200 was the equivalent of about three months’ salary for a school
teacher there. In other words this was a lot of cash. I tried calling George when
we returned from dinner Saturday night but we were always cut off or disconnected.
<o:p></o:p></div>
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We developed an expression over
there when something unplanned or unexpected happened, “TIA”. This was
shorthand for “This Is Africa”. At any given moment plans could change,
sometimes five times a day. You really had to lose that sense of being in “control”.
Sure, it was always a good idea to have a plan, but you couldn't get your nose
out of joint when things changed. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNDrYqnYAzSmsd0o5b3UworjJSGBhGy4kQ4Z9QskFaDTm2DO4-0E6761VFNUBau-NMpHTEU-q1CG08VfL3wEngiCjbEX93-N5F6L507NBELY9a9vXptaZ8O8mu2TXLq_MgCDF9sbNa6IE/s1600/2014+Uganda+207.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNDrYqnYAzSmsd0o5b3UworjJSGBhGy4kQ4Z9QskFaDTm2DO4-0E6761VFNUBau-NMpHTEU-q1CG08VfL3wEngiCjbEX93-N5F6L507NBELY9a9vXptaZ8O8mu2TXLq_MgCDF9sbNa6IE/s1600/2014+Uganda+207.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a>So I resolved in my mind that if
George didn’t show up on Sunday that was just the way it would be. I needed to guard
my heart at that point from allowing this event to somehow damage or impair my
relationship with this pastor. I considered him a friend. After all one of the
key reasons for being there in the first place was to develop deep
relationships. I couldn’t allow $200 to damage that relationship or accuse
George in my heart. I went to bed Saturday evening in total peace.<o:p></o:p><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU43fbbN3pu-e2CrY3EVEijL4Bt_H5Sl17846fJCFIfXhSQcgcU5TM2uwgHywwkimKx1tFx31Ma_gjRTrPF-r-ZCXS-UBLMqmMulD73ZCS5P8L-EGqit6atyRWCmab-xlNTgVHiXt7MZ8/s1600/2014+Uganda+107.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU43fbbN3pu-e2CrY3EVEijL4Bt_H5Sl17846fJCFIfXhSQcgcU5TM2uwgHywwkimKx1tFx31Ma_gjRTrPF-r-ZCXS-UBLMqmMulD73ZCS5P8L-EGqit6atyRWCmab-xlNTgVHiXt7MZ8/s1600/2014+Uganda+107.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></div>
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Sunday morning the whole crew from
Redeemer Church headed off to church service while we remained behind to pack. To
my pleasant surprise, who walks in the door after church service? It was George
with my exchanged money. He had joined our group at church and came back with
them. He even brought his own driver to escort us to the downtown Bus Terminal!
Not a small favor in the crowded Kampala streets below.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This was another important lesson for me about trust and always
trying to think the best of others when you don’t know the entire story and
your mind is telling you to go the other way.<br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09985664875317005886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1298334983739757746.post-47767330327294485242014-08-26T22:23:00.003-04:002014-08-27T08:23:16.687-04:00It Was Dangerous and a Lot of Fun<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP6JQfH95oBLiAqSVwcdUNpeW5qYv-ExbiJ2ieLZNzY39yhdZrGOz4cWfl2zYt75NvoANCNGydXv2H6R6Uxvz5gh4Jav9aNIqiJFfhSBW80CcAHhhwQzjWr4dlfWWuEwPbYTl5lYpv-3g/s1600/2014+Uganda+202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP6JQfH95oBLiAqSVwcdUNpeW5qYv-ExbiJ2ieLZNzY39yhdZrGOz4cWfl2zYt75NvoANCNGydXv2H6R6Uxvz5gh4Jav9aNIqiJFfhSBW80CcAHhhwQzjWr4dlfWWuEwPbYTl5lYpv-3g/s1600/2014+Uganda+202.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a>So here we are on Saturday night, the four Musketeers’,
brainstorming, talking and reminiscing about the first time we felt an
impression that Uganda was it. We talked late into the night about why we were
so drawn to these people, this place and why it was on our hearts. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
I know in my case I had never done a missions trip before 2011; I
was always too busy at work when Mary and my daughter’s would fly down to
Arizona or Mex<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">ico to <span style="line-height: 115%;">at
the orphanages.</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwjqXysRQcdkMqI60h6OmLthLTMNH3Unu66TvGzZYJdi8CyulgZHd3pc5dSb_-B7b0jc76vEBzC7Fpg9bKlFBRsHuLy5mwCQ0beOTdcy1QDPlroHq_Jz03GnhUKHC43i3BDLYrnBraocs/s1600/2014+Uganda+205.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwjqXysRQcdkMqI60h6OmLthLTMNH3Unu66TvGzZYJdi8CyulgZHd3pc5dSb_-B7b0jc76vEBzC7Fpg9bKlFBRsHuLy5mwCQ0beOTdcy1QDPlroHq_Jz03GnhUKHC43i3BDLYrnBraocs/s1600/2014+Uganda+205.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a><span style="text-align: center;">I don't know if you can count the time about ten years ago
when my best friends called me and said they were putting together a posse to drive
down to Mississippi. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Hurricane Katrina had just hit and it was a disaster down
there. We were just a loose group of guy’s
from the church, with no backers or financial support, who just piled into three vans and trailers to do what we could.
Because I have forty years’ experience as an arborist we stacked the trailers up
with ropes and chainsaws. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We hooked up with Samaritans Purse down in Biloxi and
cut trees off of houses and covered roofs with blue traps to keep the weather out. We were down there for a week or two. I don't really know if that
qualifies as a “mission’s trip” in the traditional sense of the word, but it
was dangerous and it was a lot of fun. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y4SpWYGMyNQ/U_1NepBvJeI/AAAAAAAAlDI/cP6hI8lN5mE/s1600/_20140824_024316" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y4SpWYGMyNQ/U_1NepBvJeI/AAAAAAAAlDI/cP6hI8lN5mE/s1600/_20140824_024316" height="200" width="157" /></a>The next day Kendra helped Mary finish her outline for the
women’s workshop. Her law experience had given Kendra a keen eye for editing concise
documents, and the two of them working together was another affirmation of this
budding friendship. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
John, Kendra, Mary and I were able to steal away an
afternoon talking about Uganda and all of the similarities each of us felt to
this new country. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It is difficult to explain, but each one of us in their own way
felt a pull to the people and the culture.
<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09985664875317005886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1298334983739757746.post-86462159741221299662014-08-25T22:53:00.000-04:002014-08-27T08:25:01.754-04:00How Relaxed They Were<div class="MsoNormal">
After settling in our tight quarters (John on the sofa,
Kendra in a cramped room with three other women, and Mary and I in a small room
with two single beds) we walked down the steep hill to a nice Indian restaurant
for lunch. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmyEPMwOUJ5OCGNFtJKdnAkQStn0EtzcPiq94QF7phvnr6m5O-wppHRQJTBFPAlyzpZWnJTp6X1jIXasrhUKtvRZvgOdQGDL0IKkqS64XAb-uS7yA0MTbsp-sd6TiKuGIkR4Ak1E1vdwE/s1600/_20140821_044914.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmyEPMwOUJ5OCGNFtJKdnAkQStn0EtzcPiq94QF7phvnr6m5O-wppHRQJTBFPAlyzpZWnJTp6X1jIXasrhUKtvRZvgOdQGDL0IKkqS64XAb-uS7yA0MTbsp-sd6TiKuGIkR4Ak1E1vdwE/s1600/_20140821_044914.JPG" height="144" width="200" /></a>The entire team of 15-20 from Redeemer Church joined us. It was a bright
sunny afternoon and we ate out on the terrace. It felt a lot like any sunny day
back in the states. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Kendra was opposite of us and Mary asked her about herself.
She without hesitation told us about her journey and how God took her from the
relative safety and security of a lucrative law practice back in Virginia to a call to full-time
missions work. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--Tc3E_mswMo/UuZ09FrQAfI/AAAAAAAAf6s/XRB2D1YKvNw/s1600/2014%2BUganda%2B004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--Tc3E_mswMo/UuZ09FrQAfI/AAAAAAAAf6s/XRB2D1YKvNw/s1600/2014%2BUganda%2B004.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a>We were blown away to say the least. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I was also very impressed by the entire team, how relaxed
they were, how easy they got along and interacted. Kirk Alexander was the lead
pastor. An imposing big man with a career in the Navy before a calling to the
ministry, he also was relaxed and easy to talk too. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09985664875317005886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1298334983739757746.post-90876444943071963762014-08-25T22:41:00.001-04:002014-08-27T08:27:45.652-04:00We Felt Welcomed and an Immediate Ease<div class="MsoNormal">
Arriving by taxi, we knew we would be staying with another
team from Redeemer Church of Virginia. Theirs was a team of first timers just
like Mary and I four years ago. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeqx4Gyt5mlU53oPgE5NFUaDJynWSbGW1of7F_0xOZawvnO4PqYEL_NkBX3N2t6w1Zpmw7_T5U_YA-scMA7HdygE0cZI3KFcahvvGE1FzfbXYuwKq4sAJ0PudxMARjgbMrziArvLoxNYQ/s1600/IMG_2061.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeqx4Gyt5mlU53oPgE5NFUaDJynWSbGW1of7F_0xOZawvnO4PqYEL_NkBX3N2t6w1Zpmw7_T5U_YA-scMA7HdygE0cZI3KFcahvvGE1FzfbXYuwKq4sAJ0PudxMARjgbMrziArvLoxNYQ/s1600/IMG_2061.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a><br />
You could still see that wide eyed expression
of “what have we gotten ourselves into” look.
But they had a passion to explore and serve and that is really the only
prerequisite for this kind of work.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What we didn't know was that John (a friend from church) had told
a young lady Kendra, about Mary and I. Kendra had given up a successful law
practice in Virginia months ago to pursue full-time missions work in a Mexican orphanage. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhakdORHwAaO0gw3Nbm9uSXhKAhQrt3-dCUbvS2xHZ0lqBTfuuXUlrtM3KxrOluktq45PQQfEtvWXwlSjQiOmJoWc97_Nlj55tazWgzz0bY1ppkT5C1poTnkX8mps9eb_MbJn-Y5oyo_54/s1600/IMG_2704.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhakdORHwAaO0gw3Nbm9uSXhKAhQrt3-dCUbvS2xHZ0lqBTfuuXUlrtM3KxrOluktq45PQQfEtvWXwlSjQiOmJoWc97_Nlj55tazWgzz0bY1ppkT5C1poTnkX8mps9eb_MbJn-Y5oyo_54/s1600/IMG_2704.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a>She had been told about Mary and I and our desire to do "more extended and a different kind” of mission work. She was waiting to meet us when the taxi pulled into the driveway.
Kendra was one of the first to greet us a fetch our bags. She had a sparkle in
her brown eyes and a rare kind of energy not common to most folks. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We felt
welcomed and an immediate ease with her. Mary and she made an instant
connection!<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09985664875317005886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1298334983739757746.post-71898660184913874352014-08-25T19:45:00.002-04:002014-08-27T00:03:32.792-04:00The Wingate Guesthouse<div class="MsoNormal">
We arrived at the Wingate guesthouse in the wee hours the
night before and slept very well. We had two days to decompress from the 18
hour flight, time to prepare for what would be a whirlwind of activity. Mary
was to be part of a group set aside for just ministry to the women. I would be
doing construction to the widow’s homes and preaching and teaching as our host
would request. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTBGyH0nRLq-voilWH0hOadXOa2t0RMGeFY8-dtDURspb_L340-IXokVShVo8y4NBZ6q290XhEJR7MuJ3UYoGwxJbHrrj41wDpw2BDh4UB1PDaVOTDWbEbClv_LkufLVUYfcDjxDMUyqU/s1600/_20140821_045626.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTBGyH0nRLq-voilWH0hOadXOa2t0RMGeFY8-dtDURspb_L340-IXokVShVo8y4NBZ6q290XhEJR7MuJ3UYoGwxJbHrrj41wDpw2BDh4UB1PDaVOTDWbEbClv_LkufLVUYfcDjxDMUyqU/s1600/_20140821_045626.JPG" height="133" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We spent much of our time at Wingate reading, studying and
making notes for the workshops and teaching that were to come. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We even got in a nice 5k run that morning through the dusty
streets to the gate of the Department of Agriculture’s grounds in northern
Kampala. Running inside the grounds was fascinating. There were huge
experimental plots designated for different types of coffee beans. It was
fun to run past homes where small children would call out “muzungu, muzungu”.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6qa8Z7236tnF6Pcc6-MYjr8vKSZTJvroIzB6cHC039G4gObZBK1G_4kI0fNkvVUZHe8hSbGS5TZRuZLdknyHqjTXfCBJd-gVk_SCw0nbiAkO4bVkFhO7UUHIxqfJ1aN0xJm-6RT9NsgM/s1600/_20140821_064236.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6qa8Z7236tnF6Pcc6-MYjr8vKSZTJvroIzB6cHC039G4gObZBK1G_4kI0fNkvVUZHe8hSbGS5TZRuZLdknyHqjTXfCBJd-gVk_SCw0nbiAkO4bVkFhO7UUHIxqfJ1aN0xJm-6RT9NsgM/s1600/_20140821_064236.JPG" height="178" width="200" /></a>By mid afternoon the second day John Emilio from SMI picked us
up to take us to our lodgings for the next two days, one of the oldest
orphanages in Kampala the Sanyo Baby house. This was about an hour’s drive
through the city center atop one of the tallest hills of the city.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The view was
amazing. The Baby House itself was a configuration of houses and huts behind
thick walls and an iron gate.<br />
<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09985664875317005886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1298334983739757746.post-73636300472789070052014-08-25T19:42:00.003-04:002014-08-27T08:32:07.402-04:00Flight Arrangements<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaPrz__Pmxv1mr6qEZcv3IVsKep29gfmsOWsMjwT8GlIdHeSIIMcA8DnNMgvWR0aIdajX2WkfjCElaDOg6-RPWdYDRIkSdCoSv01VEqZy0amO058viTKKCrgL-cRIGHTvhjPBRXFoyHII/s1600/IMG_2356.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaPrz__Pmxv1mr6qEZcv3IVsKep29gfmsOWsMjwT8GlIdHeSIIMcA8DnNMgvWR0aIdajX2WkfjCElaDOg6-RPWdYDRIkSdCoSv01VEqZy0amO058viTKKCrgL-cRIGHTvhjPBRXFoyHII/s1600/IMG_2356.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a>We had made our own flight arrangements and itinerary for
the January 2014 trip. We attended the team building meeting at our church
because we wanted to be totally connected and part of the team when they
arrived in Kiburara. We were also super excited about our plans to be out on
our own the week before the team arrived. We worked on our schedule to make
sure that we would be in Kiburara when the team got there.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
George Nsumba met us
at the Entebbe Airport late in the evening and little did we know that another
group of Americans from Syracuse New York would be joining us for the ride to
the Wingate Guesthouse. During the hour and a half ride we were able to find
out that their team had been coming to Uganda for several years and ministering
with some of the local churches in Kampala. The organizer of the group had been
working in the county for several decades. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuqdXh6qjOpYK9F_NadlOzH9yEYfS9-PCZc09UFfx-IjA6PlRSLmpmh2QU1eXPBwVaL8EWxTFf3SJ5ZXzoYmX3DWLZLK-V4ZwcHYkiORfBCE-y2HzMwFZF84GSEWyuOkfapY2eS7fV7p4/s1600/2014+Uganda+279.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuqdXh6qjOpYK9F_NadlOzH9yEYfS9-PCZc09UFfx-IjA6PlRSLmpmh2QU1eXPBwVaL8EWxTFf3SJ5ZXzoYmX3DWLZLK-V4ZwcHYkiORfBCE-y2HzMwFZF84GSEWyuOkfapY2eS7fV7p4/s1600/2014+Uganda+279.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a>We were fascinated to learn of many groups, organizations,
and NGO’s that have used this country as a base of operations because of it
stability and ease of language (English is the primary language for this former
British Colony). </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Airport has a huge UN Contingent with equipment, personnel;
F-14’s and transport planes. Samaritans
Purse, the Peace Corp, MONUSCO (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MONUSCO) and many others are a very active presence in the
country. Uganda thought to be the first country to detect the HIV Aids virus decades
ago has since had one of the best prevention and lowest infection rates in the
region. <br />
<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09985664875317005886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1298334983739757746.post-6372931141472597972014-08-08T21:48:00.004-04:002014-08-26T23:41:34.861-04:00Testing Our Intentions<div class="MsoNormal">
We didn't come with the team January 2013 because our
daughter Anna was due to deliver her second child and she wanted Mary in the
delivery room with her as her midwife. That winter Mary and I also contracted pneumonia. We had no way of knowing that this illness
would have trumped our plans for international travel anyway. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUrYdjtFgEHl3Fwbo8YylKnFLO_w3IfUN98njHi6SZCoSiNM7JHww4DNcvA7tQJEQYNB9SpEtGPACQ6g1QzEvp8cMZIZw6TWsU66YeGnZoiOBm9QCltw1Bs27VZwJP_dmKDTb2b5UfTec/s1600/2014+Uganda+227.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUrYdjtFgEHl3Fwbo8YylKnFLO_w3IfUN98njHi6SZCoSiNM7JHww4DNcvA7tQJEQYNB9SpEtGPACQ6g1QzEvp8cMZIZw6TWsU66YeGnZoiOBm9QCltw1Bs27VZwJP_dmKDTb2b5UfTec/s1600/2014+Uganda+227.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></div>
Mary and I spent that year discussing with our pastor,
family and friends about changing up the concept of “Short Term Missions” and
asked what it would look like to do “Mid Term Missions”. David Platt’s classic
book “Radical”, talks about Matthew 28 with a fresh perspective. We are all “Missionaries”
based on Jesus’ desire to spread the good news. So it isn't a question of going
or staying like I had thought for years, it’s just a simple question of being,
being his disciple. Whether that looks like crossing an ocean or just crossing
the street in your neighborhood we are to be salt and light in a world void of flavor and full of darkness.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We had been counseled and decided to “take it slow”, to
not do anything rash. We agreed that we would go again with our church's mission
team in January 2014 but this time with a little twist. Mary and I
would go a week early on our own to “scout the land”, to test our own
intentions and see how we would cope going it alone.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
What wonderful surprises were in store for us.<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09985664875317005886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1298334983739757746.post-7343122652403967672014-08-08T10:15:00.001-04:002014-08-28T18:59:20.467-04:00 “Divine Appointment” <div class="MsoNormal">
When Mary returned from her experience we had long discussions
about what she saw, and how different this trip had been from the previous
ones. She also made several new friends chiefly Pastor George Nsamba and his dear wife Beatrice from the Wingate Guest house in Kampala. This was what they call a “divine appointment”. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU7tnqWvBUTq1IXJ2NJNZmF0KaYrx5_fm96RE9fFix5ITWR0rGztnPrapGgL5lyvZw1TVto3y4xVaWOjvtxu1EtPXympTzxyxPwLvaed-fRoKH3lETYy1VguHG0Pz2otVETNvuWlhy_50/s1600/2014+Uganda+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU7tnqWvBUTq1IXJ2NJNZmF0KaYrx5_fm96RE9fFix5ITWR0rGztnPrapGgL5lyvZw1TVto3y4xVaWOjvtxu1EtPXympTzxyxPwLvaed-fRoKH3lETYy1VguHG0Pz2otVETNvuWlhy_50/s1600/2014+Uganda+002.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mary and Polly at the Wingate</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
SMI had been working closely with a company here in the states developing and
installing rain catchment containers for local villages. The beauty of these
systems is they literally catch the rainwater as it comes off the roofs and is
gravity fed into 10,000 gallon containers. These containers can be filled
within two days during the rainy season. The down side to this simple
technology is filling the containers during the dry season. George Samba is the
Ugandan representative for the U.S. Company developing these systems. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He is
also a local pastor responsible for several local churches and well-connected
throughout the area. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mary had the opportunity to stay at Wingate and go on excursions
into the Kampala Markets looking for supplies for the jewelry making and craft
business that SMI was helping to develop. Beatrice was an excellent guide and
helped the muzungu get the local prices and not the two hundred percent markup
reserved for foreigners. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
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We started to talk about what it would look like to come
back just the two of us. How would we cope and adjust when we were not
“protected” by that larger group crowded onto a bus and fared through the city
on the way to the countryside eight hours away?<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09985664875317005886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1298334983739757746.post-24420082917335616862014-08-07T10:10:00.001-04:002014-08-26T23:39:40.102-04:00This would be the genesis of a desire to go back to AfricaI need to thank Catherine Hoover for the excellent post she made from her teams experiences in the spring of 2013 for the SMI trip. She was very generous letting me copy her post here to my blog. I think it is important to see the connections, to connect the dots as it were, of the relationships that have developed here in the states as well as those special friendships that have been forged with our dead friends in Kiburara western Uganda.<br />
<br />
Because Mary was a part of that team it was our first experience as a couple being separated by eight thousand miles on an international trip. It was also unusual in that Mary was "invited" with only about two weeks notice. Not enough time to get nervous or have second thoughts.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwp-BUADCUXuCk0PwUjhuxfVV8GhS7FKs69YUxtwWTJ0rYCv249-r0ftfYjbYtZIhihZcinbWvnccwy47fa0rzda8w9RRR3uNU55KS9izNX3Ww_rNVb7uY2QQOilO_9uUPDbi7NY93kYM/s1600/IMG_2829.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwp-BUADCUXuCk0PwUjhuxfVV8GhS7FKs69YUxtwWTJ0rYCv249-r0ftfYjbYtZIhihZcinbWvnccwy47fa0rzda8w9RRR3uNU55KS9izNX3Ww_rNVb7uY2QQOilO_9uUPDbi7NY93kYM/s1600/IMG_2829.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
The most nerve racking part of that trip for me was the limited communications, especially during the Boston Marathon bombing. We had several close running buddies in the race that day, and I wanted her to know they were all accounted for and that they were safe.<br />
<br />
Mary's 2013 trip was also significant in several other ways. First, this was an unexpected windfall, because we were not able to go with the team in January like we had in previous years. Secondly, she would be a part of a small 3-4 team. Past trips to Uganda were always with 15-25 muzungu, all different ages and nationalities. Being a smaller more agile, and mobile group they were able to go deep into the capitol, go shopping in the market and meet the locals one-to-one. We didn't know it at the time but this would be the genesis of a desire to go back to Africa, just the two of us.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09985664875317005886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1298334983739757746.post-31436651234407071642014-01-25T18:04:00.001-05:002014-08-08T22:05:56.901-04:00Haven't Had Power In Four Days<div style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">August
22 2013<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18pt;">We
heard from the SMI team today! They </span><span style="line-height: 24px;">haven't</span><span style="line-height: 18pt;"> had power in four days, due to bad
storms in the area. There are a lot of great things happening, and they are
looking forward to sharing more details when they get back from Uganda.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The
team finished well repairs last week, and has been spending much of their
remaining time networking and building relationships. </span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="vertical-align: baseline;">
<div style="background-color: white;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1298334983739757746" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1298334983739757746" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="file:///C:/DOCUME~1/PAULFO~1/LOCALS~1/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18pt;">They discovered that the
health education officer for the Ibanda District happens to live right across the street
from the SMI land purchased in the spring, and we were able to meet with him to discuss health issues
including malnutrition and drug resistant strains of malaria. (What are the odds
– Kristen just completed her capstone project on drug resistant strains of
malaria). When she did her research, they </span><span style="line-height: 24px;">didn't</span></span><span style="line-height: 18pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> have any data on this happening
in sub-Saharan Africa. It is our hope that meetings like this one will create
opportunities for further work in the future.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="line-height: 18pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18pt;">Thank you for all the encouraging comments! </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18pt;">Follow us on twitter!</span></div>
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</div>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.285999298095703px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">@sustainmission</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="line-height: 18pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09985664875317005886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1298334983739757746.post-28679627865629476252014-01-23T12:01:00.000-05:002014-08-08T22:07:40.585-04:00The Opportunity To Learn Sustainable Skills <div style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1298334983739757746" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1298334983739757746" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="file:///C:/DOCUME~1/PAULFO~1/LOCALS~1/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">April
17, 2013<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1298334983739757746" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1298334983739757746" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="file:///C:/DOCUME~1/PAULFO~1/LOCALS~1/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">While
most of the team visited wells on Monday, Mary and I visited Alpha and Omega
Secondary school and spent time with Pastor Moses’ family. We spent time
talking with the headmaster, Frank, and one of the teachers, gaining a deeper
understanding of how their curriculum works and what they need. I was able to
take lots of pictures at the school in order to document the conditions there.
Mary took video interviews of several students. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18pt;">We hope that pictures and video will help those at home visualize what life is like here. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18pt;">At the beginning of the week, Mary taught everyone how to make beads out of
colored paper and newspaper. The paper is rolled up and dipped in varnish
before being hung up to dry. The materials are inexpensive and easily
accessible to the community. The result is a professional looking product for
very little cost. Our vision is to sell the jewelry in the U.S. for a decent
profit by Ugandan standards. This will give students at Alpha and Omega the
opportunity to learn a sustainable skill that will boost their confidence. The
current dropout rate at the school is 20% due to lack of funding by parents
during dry seasons when there are no crops. Students who are struggling to
afford tuition will be given first priority. It is our hope that small steps
like this one will lead into bigger opportunities. Expanding this initiative
into the village churches could eventually lead to positive results such as the
ability of church members to tithe, save, start savings accounts, and help fund
future well maintenance. The churches could even use profits to initiate their
own benevolence campaigns to reach surrounding communities.</span></div>
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div align="center" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="clear: right; color: #9f9f9f; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape
id="Picture_x0020_15" o:spid="_x0000_i1025" type="#_x0000_t75" alt="Uganda April 160"
href="http://sustainablemissions.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/uganda-april-160.jpg"
style='width:225pt;height:150pt;visibility:visible;mso-wrap-style:square'
o:button="t">
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<v:imagedata src="file:///C:\DOCUME~1\PAULFO~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image002.jpg"
o:title="Uganda April 160"/>
</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"></span><span style="color: #444444;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">We
have spent much of our time this week examining wells and repairing those that
need to be fixed. Of 15 wells in the surrounding community, 6 were no longer
pumping water. Two broken wells have now been fixed. One additional well is
still in use, but is breaking down. Some of these wells have been broken for
over a year, forcing communities to return to disease ridden streams. When
working, each of these wells serve at least 1,500 people every day (and some
wells serve over 2,400 people every day) — people who would otherwise drink
unhealthy and unclean water. Yesterday, Bart and John saw a group of small
children fetching water from a sewer. It’s exciting to know the difference that
repairing wells will make. When all 15 wells are functional, over 30,000 people
will have access to clean water – EVERY DAY. To emphasize the importance of
this situation, following the installation of the first 5 wells that were dug,
the death rate due to water borne bacteria and unclean-water-caused illness
dropped to zero.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="line-height: 18pt;">Yesterday,
Cat, Mary, Andrew, and I worked with a local mechanic to repair a well in
Rwenyawawa. When we arrived at the broken well in early afternoon, Tarsis (our
well mechanic) and Andrew had a difficult time organizing the village men to
work. We </span><span style="line-height: 24px;">couldn't</span><span style="line-height: 18pt;"> understand what they were saying, but Andrew said they were
being “complicated,” meaning one of the men was trying to confuse the others so
they </span><span style="line-height: 24px;">wouldn't</span><span style="line-height: 18pt;"> work on the well. Just as Tarsis finally got that man to leave
and work on the well was starting, dark clouds rolled over us and the rain
began to fall. That scattered everybody and we went back into the village to
wait it out, staying in the house of a man named Mark. When the rain slowed to
a drizzle, Mary, Cat, and I went outside, convincing the others to follow, and
gradually got the work on the well started again. At first only two other men
came, but once others saw the Mzungu girls getting ready to work on the well
themselves, men flooded out of the village and we soon had 10-15 people working
on the well. We were happy to watch people get more excited and involved as the
work progressed. An hour and a half later, clear water poured from the spout
where only air had come just a few hours ago. Pastor Moses came to pray over
the well and to encourage the community to maintain it. He explained that this
gift ultimately did not come from our team, it came from God. He encouraged
them to maintain it out of love for their neighbors and gratefulness to God,
not to please the Mzungu.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Today
was more low-key, as we are leaving for Mbarara in the morning. We had a (5 and
a half hour) staff meeting with Pastor Moses and school administrators in order
to debrief and cast vision for the future. We were able to hear from them what
steps both Sustainable Missions and Covenant Life Church can take in order to
best partner with them.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Thank
you for reading! And for all your prayers!</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09985664875317005886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1298334983739757746.post-70781891946521647552014-01-23T11:57:00.000-05:002014-08-08T22:10:20.427-04:00Bacteria-Laden Water<div style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">April
16, 2013<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Well,
today was quite a powerful adventure!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1298334983739757746" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1298334983739757746" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="file:///C:/DOCUME~1/PAULFO~1/LOCALS~1/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">We
have been repairing wells to return clean water to communities. Over 500,000
person-days of water usage occurs each year; that is, each well serves between
1,500 to 2,000 people every day. Many of those served are children from the
local schools, and most are drinking black-colored, bacteria-laden,
dysentery-causing water, if the wells are not working.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">We
were up at 8 AM and we started work this morning at 9 AM when the well mechanic
arrived at Pastor Moses’ house. Taursisis (or Teshi as Bart called him) was
sent from God. He jumped right into working with Andrew Okello
–instructing the village workers while showing us how to disassemble the well
pump head so that Andrew could learn how to become a well mechanic himself. Cat
recorded the GPS data, and worked with Andrew to update the paperwork that will
lead to the well inventory, and well repair and maintenance data. We are
gathering the data for statistics regarding each well (e.g., population in the
communities served by each well, the GPS location, the elevation, the frequency
of inspections, the maintenance and repair records, the longevity of various
pump parts). First, we worked on well #9, then we dropped off the well crew at
well #10 so they could start identifying the problem(s) with the second well.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">While
they worked on the second well, we traveled to Mbarara. We have rented Pastor
George Nsamba’s Toyota Land Cruiser for the ‘bush’ portion of our trip in and
out of Kiburara – the 4-wheel drive and off-road suspension have been highly
needed, well worth the fee, and greatly appreciated by us. There were three
main reasons to take this 2.5 hour trip to Mbarara today:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">1.
To meet with the Mbarara Land Council to, hopefully for the last time, identify
the specific documents that we need in order to buy land. This process has been
difficult, as each district and region has its own procedures. We arrived at
the offices at 4 PM (it was our understanding that they were open until 5 PM).
They were closed, but the guard graciously allowed us to come in and we were
able to chat with the Processing Attorney, who detailed the process that we
need to follow.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">2.
To purchase the parts for the two wells that the well crew was working on.
After leaving the Land Office with nothing but what else they wanted us to
bring next time, we went to the plumbing shop in Mbarara. This is the entire
plumbing department of Home Depot crammed into a 15’ x 15’ storefront – that
only has one type of something, and if they don’t have it, you can’t get it.
But we purchased EVERYTHING we needed there! Wow, George (the owner) was very
helpful and found us everything we needed, after looking through a multitude of
boxes. George had to cut the 10 — 20’ 1.25” pipes into 20 – 10’ lengths, and
then used the dye to cut the threads, by hand into the cut ends of the pipe. We
decided to go get something to eat while we waited, and have a Novita (a
delicious carbonated pineapple drink).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">3.
To meet with Pastor George Byabagamby for dinner and discuss his business
experience. George told us all about how he started Savings and Credit
Associations (SCA) with his communities. Cat had great questions about the
micro-finance and SCA models. George explained that, while the first attempt
failed, the second attempt worked well because the women and men invested their
own money into the loan pool and lent out their own money. He found that they
were more accountable with their own money. George also described how they are
starting to form a bank and explained what they have learned from this process.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Moses
is doing all our translation from ‘we need to have it this way’ American to
‘this is the way we do it here in Uganda’ Luganda or Runyankole. Moses is a
gentle, loving, and joyful man. We love his friendship! He has become like
family. God has even used Moses to speak friendship, patience, faith, and
waiting-on-God’s time to us. We are truly thankful for him.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">We
have had a full day today; we have stretched all the hours to their
maximum. Cat and John are asleep. We are on the way home. Tomorrow,
we plan to finish repairing the first two wells, and then repair and maintain
as many additional broken wells as possible.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Pray
that God continues to favor our work!</span></span></div>
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">
Mukama Asiimwe</span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09985664875317005886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1298334983739757746.post-86861888626105593852013-04-11T18:00:00.001-04:002014-08-08T22:16:08.347-04:00Eight Hour Trek To Kiburara.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: 18pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1298334983739757746" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1298334983739757746" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1298334983739757746" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1298334983739757746" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="file:///C:/DOCUME~1/PAULFO~1/LOCALS~1/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">All of the Ugandans are so very friendly! We have felt
very welcomed and are grateful for the friendships we are developing.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">So far, we have visited 6 wells. One well had no pump
head, one well was working but the water took a long time to pump and come out,
and the other four wells were non-functional.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Joseph, our driver, let Bart take the wheel with his
International Drivers’ License and said he drove like a ‘commando.’ Bart is not
sure what he meant, but had fun!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">We installed both Rainwater Collection/Catchment
Systems (RCS) today. The installation crew arrived yesterday, and worked
yesterday and today to install the RCSs. The systems included all the gutters,
downspouts, two 10,000 litre water tanks, and 3 filters to make sure the water
is drinkable immediately from the tap.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Afterwards, we drove to Ibanda to get fuel (for the
3rd time – total of 750,000 UGX = $300), bought 3 mattresses (2 for Covenant
Mercies facilities), 5 pillows, Coke, an Energy drink, rice, baby formula, and
also checked on 2 more 10,000 litre water tanks.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">We enjoyed a great dinner of goat stew, rice, mashed
potatoes, chapati, and tea.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">We will have a chicken butchering session in the
morning to watch ‘dinner’ being prepped.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18pt;">Thank you for all the encouraging comments! </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18pt;">Follow us on twitter!</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">
@sustainmission</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">
Our first stop of the day was at a medium sized church, where we were
surrounded by children shaking our hands, and joined in worship for a little
while. We introduced ourselves and left shortly afterward headed for Pastor Ben
Nbasa’s church.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">
His church had been meeting in a building without a roof for several years.
Walls had been in place, and a fine layer of straw covered the dirt floor, but
blue tarps provided the only shelter until three weeks ago when they were
finally able to have a roof installed. The service was about three hours long,
with worship, testimonies, a message from Pastor Moses, and several
introductions. Children worshiped in the middle of the room while parents and
adults were against the walls near sets of benches, and the passion of this
congregation’s worship was powerfully sincere.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">
After the service, Pastor Ben invited the team to his offices for a lunch which
a member of his staff had prepared for us. We had chicken, eggs, and soda, but
what pulled some of us up short was the chicken. It didn’t look like chicken.
And maybe that’s just because we’re so used to seeing nice and neat chunks of
boneless meat arranged on a silver platter. It was strange pulling off hunks of
chicken off random bits of bone, but we were hungry, and it was good. Grease
coated our fingers as we got up from the table to wash and say goodbye as we
headed off to visit yet another church.</span></span><br />
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People have welcomed us by giving us bottles of water. At first I thought it
was a one-time thing, but it’s happened everywhere we’ve gone. Churches and
schools have all thanked us for visiting by giving us bottles of water. What
must it cost for these leaders to buy us water when they cannot afford it for
themselves or their families?</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">
A swarm of children – literally – would surround you if you took their picture
and showed it to them. It was amazing how many children would crowd, pushing,
shoving, hands reaching, necks craning, to get a glimpse at the bright screen
that showed them what they looked like. Erin, Bart, and I took many pictures of
these children, bright white teeth flashing, huge brown eyes gaping, colorful
dresses and tattered shirts staring into the camera, it was adorable and
endearing to see the excitement on their faces to see the Muzungo taking photos
of them.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">
While we were gone, Mary spent the day at the church in Kiburara and made beads
with some of the ladies here. They’ve been working on creating beads from paper
to make jewelry to sell. It’s a lot of work, but we’re working and praying
toward great success for the ladies as they prepare to eventually go to market
with their products.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The church in this community was in a small mud-caked
building no longer than 40 feet long. In spite of its size, it was packed with
believers worshiping God. Drums, clapping, and children’s voices dominated the
hot, still air as these wonderful Christians sang with all their hearts. After
introductions were made, with many Hallelujahs and Amens, we were asked to sing
a song for the congregation. It’s a good thing Bart had gotten Erin and me to
sing “In Christ Alone” on the earlier drive; we all got up there and sang it
for the believers, who picked out a drumbeat and clapped with us. Then three
ladies from the congregation blessed us with a song, complete with
choreographed movements and harmonies. Shortly after that, we made our way from
the church to the banks of Lake George which was some 300 yards away. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">We
laughed as we watched several of the boys jumping in the shallow waters, doing
flips and dunking each other until we noticed the water containers they had
taken out there with them. And then we saw the cow-pies littering the ground
near the water’s edge, and the trampled grass where the animals had come down
to drink. Finally we realized that the people of that village drank from and
bathed in the same water that cow dung was swept into during the rains, and
that they shared this water source with the cows themselves. It pulled me up
short when I saw this firsthand. Dysentery is only one of the many problems
caused by the poor water quality, and there is no other water source available
to them at present. And yet the incredible joy and hospitality these people had
despite their circumstances astounded us: we were given several purified water
bottles and a bag full of oranges from their fields.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18pt;">Before heading home we stopped in at a well at the
Kanara Gospel Center, where we discovered the well, which </span><span style="line-height: 24px;">hasn't</span><span style="line-height: 18pt;"> even been up
for a year,</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="line-height: 18pt;"> </span><strong style="line-height: 18pt;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">services
1,000 to 1,500 people a day</span></strong><span class="apple-converted-space" style="line-height: 18pt;"> </span><span style="line-height: 18pt;">and
is still going strong. Although a part had gone bad within its first five
months, the community leaders in charge of the well took the initiative to see
to its repair and set it back on track, adding security measures to protect the
pump lever from being unnecessarily abused. It was the first well we had seen
with this added security protections.</span></span><span style="line-height: 18pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18pt;">Bed time; but the bar next door is blaring its music again. Last
night they </span><span style="line-height: 24px;">didn't</span><span style="line-height: 18pt;"> knock off until 3:30 AM, so we would appreciate prayers for
another power outage (including an outage for their generator) so that we can
be well rested for tomorrow’s work!</span> </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This web site gives you much more in-depth details</span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> posting a link to the teams other blog sites:</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="http://sustainablemissions.wordpress.com/?blogsub=confirming#subscribe-blog"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">http://sustainablemissions.wordpress.com/?blogsub=confirming#subscribe-b</span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://sustainablemissions.wordpress.com/?blogsub=confirming#subscribe-blog" style="background-color: white;">log</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">In short the team picked up another traveler (John) and made the eight hour trek to our friends in Kiburara.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Some great photos are being sent, and I will try to post them of the reunion in the village. Mary spent much of the day with the head master at the new vocational school and was helping the sewing instructor with projects that will help produce income for the students. Much needed supplies were also given to the staff.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">They completed the rain collection system on the roof of the school in one day just before a huge down pour. Because it is rainy season one tank on the new system filled over night. Sweet success.</span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09985664875317005886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1298334983739757746.post-65075632310455514342013-04-09T11:47:00.000-04:002014-08-08T22:14:49.113-04:00Trip Full Of Activity<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Day four in<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kampala" target="_blank" title="Wikipedia Kampala"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">Kampala</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"> w</span>as probably the busiest so far. By 8:20 sharp they were out the door, cramming in the Land Rover with Joseph at the wheel, and
headed out to the first of what was supposed to be only two meetings with the
various attorneys working with us to register the land bought in Kiburara.
There had been a setback due to a lack of information being given, and Bart and
Andrew were particularly anxious to resolve it as soon as possible, so work on
the land could begin. Mary and Beatrice (our host’s wife) left us to shop for
fabric for the vocational school while Andrew, Bart, and I (Cat) went to meet
our first attorney. Everything was smooth sailing, even the hectic but
ironically laid back traffic, until we met the second attorney where we ran
into a few snares of the previous delay’s nature, resulting in two more
appointments being made, and setting us back at least two and a half hours.<br />
</span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiimdRiHBKKAowIhhiXbACdz-8BbW1fHmYC6fR-Ooo25mF_PkzI4Jff3VTduEjWXERvb-hZKrBuvnnswO74l3sqcB_dkXVm3BAdPDP6fRpp9wx0T8-9G36KvGJydgEuYyUpyCrBvcq_rHI/s1600/Picture+317.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiimdRiHBKKAowIhhiXbACdz-8BbW1fHmYC6fR-Ooo25mF_PkzI4Jff3VTduEjWXERvb-hZKrBuvnnswO74l3sqcB_dkXVm3BAdPDP6fRpp9wx0T8-9G36KvGJydgEuYyUpyCrBvcq_rHI/s320/Picture+317.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">
Consigned to falling a few hours behind schedule, we sat down to lunch at a
Chinese restaurant which sold a mixture of Ugandan and Indian food with some
Chinese food on the side, and called Chris at Farming God’s Way to let him know
our revised schedule. We had hoped to meet him at 3pm 80 kilometers away in
Jinja so he could show us around the farm he oversees and tell us about the
style of agriculture he and his organization implement. We ended up arriving at
the farm past five. Chris met with us and took us around to various plots,
educating us on how “Farming God’s Way” technique works. Although they are
affiliated with Katie Davis and the Amazima program, and though she does her
work there every Saturday, they are separate entities. Nonetheless, it was
pretty cool being on her turf and seeing where she works. Chris, a “no nonsense”
Canadian who’s lived in Uganda since the late 1990s, showed us the differences
between the traditional forms of farming and the methods used by “Farming God’s
Way”. Part of their ideology is that the earth responds and yields its best
when it is treated the way in which God designed it to be treated. Therefore,
their methods, including zero tilling, using natural mulch to protect the
earth’s nutrients and prevent tilting of the land itself, proved to be far more
effective at consistently producing better, healthier, denser crops than the
traditional methods of farming. Chris proved to have a wealth of knowledge that
he was most eager to share with us, and we tried to absorb as much of it as we
could. He explained to us how much he wanted this knowledge to reach as many
people as possible so that the land could be used more effectively and
fruitfully, and so that farmers would honor the Lord through the work he gave
them. His message made so much logical sense; it would have been hard to find a
point of contention or significant flaw in it.</span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">
Chris is a trainer of trainers, meaning he goes to different places in the
Southern, Eastern, and Northern regions of Uganda to train enthusiastic and
driven farmers to know how to better care for their land. Farming God’s Way
depends on three aspects: spiritual, management, and technical. It’s not
possible to only utilize one or two of these methods; like a 3-legged stool, if
one leg falls, the whole structure can no longer stand. To farm the way God
intended it to be, there must first be a personal relationship with God;
managing and stewarding the earth well is a job God personally gave mankind at
the very beginning. And finally, farming is an occupation that requires much
forethought and not just brute force. There are technical sides to it that
cannot be ignored, such as when to plant, how much to plant, where to plant,
etc.. Combining these three aspects well produces a means of farming that is
done the way God intended it to be. When measures of success came up, he made a
comment that he would consider success to be when farmers are utilizing Farming
God’s Way methods without knowing who the organization itself is.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">
Our team would be grateful for your prayers as we head off to Kiburara to begin
the second phase of our work, for good productivity, that the Lord would bless
these water tanks for the Alpha and Omega School, for Mary as she has
persistent sinus difficulties, and that the remainder of the land registration
would move smoothly and quickly, with no more unexpected hurdles or obstacles.
Prayer for the continual overall health of the team would be very much
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">We left
just as the sun was setting and lightning storms were flashing across the sky.
On our way out of Jinja we crossed over the River Nile. Although it was
nighttime at that point, Joseph, our driver, took us to the origin of the Nile
where we got to see the river of the Pharaohs’, from which Moses was delivered
as a baby in a basket, and the river where God displayed his power by turning
its waters to blood. Although it was pitch black, we could barely make out the
water hustling past us over a wooden dam-like structure, and were able to take pictures
thanks to a caretaker who became our spontaneous, stand-in tour guide. We
didn’t get back to the Wingate Guesthouse until well past 11PM. Today we are
heading to Kiburara, an 8 hour drive out of Kampala to finish setting up
the rainwater collection systems and finalize our work with securing the land
for the three businesses.</span></div>
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<div style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">See you in Kiburara!</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
Hopefully as the team is interacting with a multitude of individuals each will learn from the other. What is working, what isn't.<br />
<br />
No need to reinvent the wheel here. One concept that Katie's group has had with success is called "Farming God's Way". Using sustainable farming methods that are good for the environment they are able to dramatically increase yields with little disturbance to the soil. This concept has worked well the the landscape industry in our own country and can now be applied to farming.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09985664875317005886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1298334983739757746.post-8111441555910130082013-04-08T21:32:00.000-04:002014-08-08T22:13:40.406-04:00Fast Foreword<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1298334983739757746" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1298334983739757746" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="file:///C:/DOCUME~1/PAULFO~1/LOCALS~1/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1298334983739757746" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1298334983739757746" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="file:///C:/DOCUME~1/PAULFO~1/LOCALS~1/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The team is eight thousand miles away. When I last spoke to Mary on Sunday (a miracle of technology, with a five second delay), the team had settled in for their work. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">B<span style="line-height: 115%;">ags were packed with:</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="line-height: 115%;"> </span><strong style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-weight: normal; padding: 0in;">sustainable business</span></strong><strong style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;"> </span></strong><span style="line-height: 115%;">materials,
extra laptops for the Alpha and Omega School, sewing and teaching
supplies, financial books and annual reports for business and financial
training, water filters for clean water and for installation on the Rainwater
Collection Systems at the school and church, medical questionnaires to assess
medical facilities, medical delivery processes, clinic and hospital access,
songbooks, and more items to strengthen the</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"> </span></span><strong style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-weight: normal; padding: 0in;">sustainable</span></strong><span class="apple-converted-space" style="line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="line-height: 115%;">aspects within Ugandan communities.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span>
</span><br />
<div style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">They will be working to
establish <span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">sustainable </span>Ugandan
Companies, purchasing 32 acres of farm land in Kiburara western Uganda. This
land will be used for vocational training and livestock production, a soap
factory run by locals and a much needed orphanage modeled after the
Sanyo orphanage in Kampala.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">They also plan
to meet with two different attorneys in Kampala in order to finalize a Ugandan
Bank established in the village called a Sacco. This bank is
like a savings and loan company for the villagers run by locales
for community development. <u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="vertical-align: baseline;">
</div>
<div style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 18pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Tomorrow they are off
to Katie Davis’ orphanage, (you remember her book “Kisses From Katie”), to
speak with Chris Sperling about an exciting natural method of farming called
“Farming God’s Way”, east of Kampala (the second largest city) called Jinja.
Then back to the Kawanda Guest House in the west.</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">God knows their steps and all they need to be about today. They are on His mission, and in His hands. There is no better place to be. They are having the most incredible time of a their lives. This is impossible to explain. If you have ever been on a short term missions trip, in a land far from home, it is an experience some are terrified of, some are exasperated by, and some could only wish for. It truly is the experience of a life time, and one this team is embracing.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fff2cc;"><br />
<br />
</span><br />
<a name='more'></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09985664875317005886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1298334983739757746.post-14565954394348509312013-04-07T12:21:00.004-04:002014-01-25T19:17:56.460-05:00Green Lights Ahead<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1298334983739757746" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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After much research, council, conversations and prayer we agreed this was an opportunity not to pass up. All the practicals; money, shots, visas, would and could be over come and dealt with. We serve a big God who has big plans. As long as we are walking in accordance with those plans, what's to fear. <br />
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President Roosevelt once said "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself".<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vQ76Ih6vZPA/T2ULCCrMtuI/AAAAAAAAES8/AmeKTPuC678/s1600/Picture+137.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vQ76Ih6vZPA/T2ULCCrMtuI/AAAAAAAAES8/AmeKTPuC678/s320/Picture+137.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Having fun at the Vocational School</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
<br />
So we said "let's do this thing!".<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
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Two weeks was still a short time to prepare. we moved into full prep mode and everything fell into place. It will take another entire blog to recount all the excellent folks who felt a kindred spirit in contributing funds, and a whole other group who couldn't send money but offered up much needed prayers. I n God's economy both are necessary.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09985664875317005886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1298334983739757746.post-75913824977820049512013-04-06T13:02:00.000-04:002014-01-25T19:18:05.717-05:00The VisionWhat Bart shared that evening was a confirmation of what Mary and I had discussed over the past two years. What would it look like to live among our African brothers and sisters, along side them, sharing with them, working, laughing, and crying along side them. Being "salt & light" in a community that so desires to see an alternative life style. <br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ4mV4A-kwTCoKZbwupIS0kEA7qWBEsusODJEgGtgmzVlSFp-sCd1v5-NPMgbG4r66wk3dVb8IlZXWIhMVT_JvJTu6eRNzXn1Q7k4jiK7iYANeWvJ7VlimJszcpPGE8RpiXLK2k9RtIRU/s1600/Family+Shots+223.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ4mV4A-kwTCoKZbwupIS0kEA7qWBEsusODJEgGtgmzVlSFp-sCd1v5-NPMgbG4r66wk3dVb8IlZXWIhMVT_JvJTu6eRNzXn1Q7k4jiK7iYANeWvJ7VlimJszcpPGE8RpiXLK2k9RtIRU/s320/Family+Shots+223.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mary and John in Kiburara Uganda</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It was <b>never </b>our desire to impose a Western point of view on the African church, but it was our desire to listen and to serve them in ways <u>they </u>requested and asked for.<br />
<br />
We experienced what many Americans experience on their first trip over. An overwhelming sense of generosity and kindness from people who didn't know us at all. This experience was nothing like what we saw in the media, or expected.<br />
<br />
Simply put, we received much more from our host and hostesses than what we received. They say once you visit the continent you are forever changed by that experience This was true in in our case.<br />
<br />
Bart's vision was to meet practical needs in addition to spiritual needs. The wells that had been dug, the widow's homes that had been repaired, all necessary, all beneficial but were there other practical investments that could be made to help the community?<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1298334983739757746" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1298334983739757746" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="file:///C:/DOCUME~1/PAULFO~1/LOCALS~1/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>Bart and his partner purchased 32 acres of land in Kiburara, (the village Mary and I had visited). They were interested in installing a rain collection system on the top of the new vocational school that had just been started the year before. They were interested in locating and repairing the twenty fresh water wells that had been dug.They had a vision for the acreage......... but what did that look like?<br />
<br />
All practical, all beneficial.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09985664875317005886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1298334983739757746.post-67887942539809203752013-04-05T09:16:00.003-04:002014-08-08T22:21:25.178-04:00The MeetingSo the team leader from SMI we had never met. This isn't unusual in a large church like ours with multiple services. We knew his wife and daughter from ushering Sunday mornings, but had never met her husband Bart.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fI38q97904E/Txc1D9XSEII/AAAAAAAAC2A/Q_mfgXQX5p8/s1600/Picture+080.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fI38q97904E/Txc1D9XSEII/AAAAAAAAC2A/Q_mfgXQX5p8/s320/Picture+080.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a><br />
<br />
Tuesday night we skipped our track out with our running club at the local High School, and went to Bart's house to hear first hand of his vision and passion for reaching into developing countries and creating opportunities for local villagers. His new enterprise is called Sustainable Missions.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09985664875317005886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1298334983739757746.post-69805246054873519842013-04-03T18:14:00.001-04:002014-08-08T22:23:18.224-04:00<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So Tuesday was just crazy - they needed an answer soon. Was she in or out? Wanting to go, deep down for all the right reasons, a love of the country, a love of the the people, and the desire to make a difference; but she only had a 48 hour window to decide! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
Meeting with girl friends for lunch, talking to our daughters, asking me what each of us thought, it was unanimous... GO!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
Nov said it best;. Question:"so why are you thinking you should NOT go?" Answer: not having the money, and being afraid of travelling without Paul! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
So Nov said again, "why do you think you shouldn't GO?" She got it! If God was in this thing, and we all thought that he was, he would provide the funds, and he would provide the courage. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
A funny thing about courage, (like Grace) you don't get it in advance, it comes right when you need it. So it was settled, she was going to Uganda!</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XehgWpnBTEw/Txc6log6FCI/AAAAAAAADOk/rRDkWwKSCX0/s1600/Picture+252.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XehgWpnBTEw/Txc6log6FCI/AAAAAAAADOk/rRDkWwKSCX0/s320/Picture+252.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09985664875317005886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1298334983739757746.post-82014156147914608092013-03-29T09:22:00.002-04:002014-08-08T22:22:57.865-04:00The Call<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Monday was one of those miserable wet cold nights where the wind and rain seemed to come down sideways and cut right through you. You know those nights. You zip up your coat, put your chin down and walk straight into the storm. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
Getting into the car and turning up the heat was a nice relief from the night air. As we listened to the radio, the wipers slapping rhythm, and the mobile phone rang. It was Sue. She had just felt an impression that she was not to participate on this trip in country.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
She ask if Mary would consider taking her spot in April. I grabbed Mary's hand as they chatted away about the details. Leaving in two weeks. <i>Thoughts racing in my head, she needs to get shots, renew her visa, her passport, money, oh yes this will cost a chunk of change. </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
In the midst of the conversation I got a sense that if this was supposed to happen then all of those concerns would be taken care of.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
Yikes-Two Weeks! Off to Uganda again!</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09985664875317005886noreply@blogger.com0